Vehicle-wheel



Patented May 31,1921

E. C. GASPARD. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLlcATpN FILED FEB. 4, 191s.

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UNliTEA STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

EUGENE C. GASPARD, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

To all iti/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EUGENE C. GASPARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, `have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels and particularly to devices whereby a demountable tire-carrying rim may be applied to and removed from a fixed rim.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a device of this character which, while simple' of construction and convenient of application and operation, is eiiicient for the purpose of forcing a demountable rim laterally to and locking it upon its seat on a fixed rim.

@ther and morelimited objects of the invention will appear hereinafter and will be realized in and through the combinations of elements embodied in the claims.

,Tn the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application Figure 1 represents a detail partly in elevation and partly in section of a fixed rim and locking ring embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view through the fixed rim, locking ring and demountable rim, the plan including the operating devices `for said ring; Fig. 3' a sectional detail showing the locking ring in its expanded condition; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively transverse sectional views and a view in side elevation showing thedriving connection betweenthe demountablerim and the fixed rim; Fig..6 a detail in plan of the locking ring and themeans for expanding and contracting the same and Fig. 7 a sectional side elevation of the demountable rim and fixed rim.

r).escribing the various parts in detail, 1 denotes the channeled fixedrim of a .wheel having the side fianges 2 and 3. The outer flange 2 is bent to provide a circumferential beveled seat 2 and an inward extension 2b of saidseat. The inner flangeis bent to provide an inner beveled seat `31. Secured to the fixed rimis a bushing throughwhich there projects a shaft 5 having .a pinion thereon meshing withanelongated pinion 7 carried by thefixed' rim. .Aring 8. is.secured` to the shaft 'and serves as a thrustbe/ aring against lthe inner end of the bushing. In order to loclothe pinions in anydesired posi- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 31, 1921. Application filed February 4, 1918. I

Serial No. 215,374..

.end of the shaft is squared for the reception of a socket wrench andthe pawl is so arranged that, in applying the wrench to the shaft, the pawl will be engaged by the interior of the socket and will be rocked in a direction to disengage the nose thereof from the bushing, thereby permittingthe shaft to be rotated. A dust cap 11 may be applied to thefbushing and shaft.

The pinion 7 mesheswith racks 121 upon the overlapping ends of a split locking ring 12. This'ring is pivotally connected to the fixed rim by `means of links 13, eight such links being shown. The ring is provided with a beveled surface 12b, for a purpose to `be explained hereinafter.

Cooperating with the seats Qaand 3a and with the locking ring 12 is a demountable rim 14. This rim is provided at one side with a radially projecting beveled `seat-engaging member 14a lwhichmay be in the form of an integral rib or in the form of spaced lugs. This member is provided with a lateral extension 14.* cooperating with the extension Qbof the seat 2a at its opposite side,

.the rim'is-beveled, as shown at 14,.the beveled surfaces ofthe demountable rim cooperating with the beveled seats 2a and 3a respectively. l

The locking ring 12 is provided with a rib lhaving a beveled surface Y15a adapted yto be engaged by the beveled surface 12b of the locking ring thereby to lforce the de- ,mountable rim laterally upon its seats 2a and 3a and to retainlthe saidrim upon said seats. The rib V15 will be notched, as indicated at 15b, to provide clearance tfor the pinion 7 and the hub 6 of thepinion 6. This hub forms a bearing Afor the side of the .locking ringadjacentthereto asthe ring is expanded and contracted.

16 .denotes a driving lug which projects from the demountable rim towardthe fixed .rim ,and ,which .is vz tdapted to be received within anaperture 17a of an angle plate 17 which is secured to the xed rim and which extends circumfcrentially thereof. The plate 17 constitutes a driving member projecting toward the demountable rim and having an aperture for the reception of the driving lug 16. In practice, this lug` Will be inserted into the aperture provided therefor in the plate and With the beveled face 16'"L thereof presented toward the fiange 2" whereby it Will assist the ring 12 in retaining the demountable rim on its seats. rihe fixed rim construction shown herein is applicable to ordinaryy Wooden spokes or to Wire spokes. In Fig. 3, is shown a construction Which may be employed in connection with Wooden spokes, the fixed rim being provided with short circular fianges 1S struck therefrom and each surrounding a circular opening adapted to receive a spoke tenen 19. Where my construction is employed with Wire Wheels, the wire spokes will be directly secured to opposite sides of the bottom of the fixed rim.

lt Will be noted that the fixed rim fiange 2 is shorter than the inner flange 3. This enables the rib 15 to clear the outer edge of the flange 2 as the demountable rim is slid laterally upon the fixed rim. Providing the seat extension 2b not only strengthens the flange 2 but also provides a lateral seat for the extension 14h of the demountable rim seat 14a. It Will be noted that the beveled seat 3a constitutes an inclined projection from a flat seat 3b. By this arrangement, the inner side of the demountable rim is given a double seat and the flange 3 serves to strengthen the inner side of the iixed rim.

With the parts constructed and arranged as illustrated and described, the operation will be easily understood. By removing the dust cap and applying a socket Wrench to the end of the shaft the paWl 9 will be unlocked from the bushing and the shaft then rotated in the appropriate direction for contracting the locking ring to permit the removal or application of. a demountable rim or in the appropriate direction for expanding the ring to lock a demountable rim in place.

The expanding of the ring Will, through the engagement of the beveled surfaces 12b and 15a, force the fixed rim laterally and radially along the beveled seats 2a and 3a. The links 13 secure the ring to and Within the fixed rim and permit it to expand and contract through the action of the pinion 7 and the pavvl 9 automatically locks the ring in its expanded and contracted positions as soon as the socket Wrench is removed from the shaft.

The construction and arrangement of parts enables a demountable rim to be applied to and removed from a fixed rim in a particularly convenient manner, re-

quires only a single locking device having a single operating means. The locking ring, its cooperating rib, the driving connection, and the operating means for the ring are all inclosed and protected from the action of dirt and Weather. Vifhile I have shown the part of the demountable rim which cooperates with the beveled surface of the locking ring as a rib or ring extending substantially continuously from the inner face of said rim, it Will be evident that a rib comprising a circumferential series of beveled l may be employed in lieu thereof; and the term rib is employed in the claims to cover either' a substantially continuous or a segmental rib.

Having thus described my invention what l claim is 1. The combination with a fixed rim having laterally spaced seats, of a demountable rim having laterally spaced seat-engaging portions and a beveled rib intermediate of such portions, an expansible and contractible ring having a beveled surface adapted to coperate With such beveled rib, and means for expanding and contracting said ring including pivoted links connecting said ring and said fixed rim for spacing the former equidistant about the latter.

2. rihe combination, With a fixed rim having laterally spaced beveled seats one of which has a lateral extension, of a demountable rim having laterally spaced beveled seat-engaging portions one of which has a lateral extension parallel With the first mentioned extension, and a beveled rib carried by said demountable lrim intermediate of such portions, an expansible and contractible ring connected to said fixed rim and having a beveled surface adapted to cooperate With such beveledrib, and means carried by said :fixed rim for expanding and contracting said ring.

The combination, with a fixed rim, of a second rimmeans for detachably securing said second rim to said fixed rim, a driving lug projecting from the second rim toward the fixed rim and having an inclined seat edge, and a` driving member projecting from the fixed rim toward the second rim and having an aperture for` the reception of said lug, the inclined edge of the lug engaging the side edge of the driving member and tending to force the rim laterally on the fixed rim.

4L. The combination, with a fixed rim and a demountable rim, of means for securing the demountable rim to the fixed rim, said means comprising a split ring having overlapping ends provided each with rack teeth, links supporting said ring from said fixed rim, an elongated pinion interposed between such ends and meshing with said teeth, and means for driving said pinion.

5. The combination., with a fixed rim and a demountable rim, of means for securing the demountable rim to the fixed rim, said means comprising an expansible and con-r tractible ring, a bushing projecting radially Within and from the fixed rim, a shaft mounted in said bushing, operating connections between said shaft and ring, and means cooperating with the shaft and bushing for locking said shaft to said bushing.

6. The combination, With a fixed rim and a demountable rim, of means for securing the demountable rim to the iixed rim, said means comprising an expansible and contractible ring, a shaft operatively connected to said ring, a recessed bushing for said shaft carried by said fixed rim and a paivl pivoted to said shaft and adapted te engage the walls of the recesses in said bushing.

7. The combination, with a fixed rim and a demountable rim, of means for securing the demountable rim to the fixed rim, said means comprising an expansible and contractible ring, a bushing projecting radially Within and from the fixed rim and having its inner end notched, a shaft extending through said bushing and operatively connected to said ring, a pawl pivoted to said shaft and adapted to engage the notches of the bushing and aspring tending to force said pawl into said notches.

S. The combination, with a fixed rim and a demountable rim, of means for securing the demountable rim to the fixed rim, said means including an expansible and contractible ring, a bushing projecting radially Within and from said fixed rim, a shaft extending through said bushing and operatively connected to said ring, the inner end of said shaft being shaped to receive an operating tool and means normally locking said shaft to said bushing and adapted and arranged to be unlocked by the application of the operating tool to the shaft.

9. The combination, with a xed rim having a lateral seat, of a demountable rim, means for detachably securing` said demountable rim to said fixed rim, a driving member projecting from the fixed rim toward the deniountable rim and having an aperture therein, and a driving lug carried by the demountable rim and having an inclined surface adapted to engage one side of the Wall of said aperture to operate as a Wedge tending to force the demountable rim laterally toward its seat.

10. rEhe combination, With a channeled iixed rim the outer edge of the outer flange whereof is beveled and is projected toward the inner flange to provide a double seat, one surface of Which is parallel to the axis of the fixed rim, and the outer edge of the inner flange whereof is bent inwardly and then upwardly to provide a double seat, said seats being formed integral with said fixed rim, of a demountable rim having at each side thereof a seating portion adapted to conform to each double seat of the fixed rim, and means for locking said demountable rim in place.

ln testimony whereof, l hereunto affix my signature.

EUGENE C. GASPARD. 

